The 20th-Century American Puritan Studies

Ever since those who wished to continue purifying the Church of England acquired the name Puritans, Puritans and Puritanism have been subjects of controversy. Puritanism, be it a magisterial theology, a movement, a set of complex secularized ideas, "a philosophy of life", "code of values", or even "a way of life", is always under intense scrutiny. While scholars continue to debate the strength of Puritanism, broader agreement has emerged about its impact, positive or negative, upon the American culture. Consensus were further reached by the 20th-century Puritan scholarships, which positively holds that Puritan tradition functions in American politics, culture, society, life as well as in the complex qualities which make up the "American Character", and that Puritanism is closely related to morals, ethics, values and identities.This dissertation aims to give an account of the 20th-century American Puritan interpretation and studies. With no intention of giving an all-inclusive historiography, this study is selective, emphasizing on the most influential scholars, like Van Wyck Brooks, H.L.Mencken, Vernon Louis Parrington, Perry Miller and Sacvan Bercovitch, especially the last two scholars, who are regarded as the great masters in Puritan studies, and at the same time due attention is given to some other less influential ones. While summarizing their interpretations and scholarships and analyzing their major theses and focuses, this dissertation also seeks to historicize their thinking, with an attempt to reveal, in their interaction with their time, their position, their methodology, their ideological bias, and their influences, and to explore their understanding of the intricate relationships between Puritanism and "America".It is understood that wide divergence exists among scholars of different times. While the interpretation of Puritans and Puritan tradition belongs to every scholar, it is also the product of the time they were (and are) living in. If Puritanism before the 1930s was merely used as a tool for the cultural war debates, then the Puritan studies since the 1930s has shifted the interests and directions, with more attention paid to the Puritans and greater efforts exerted to explore the complicated interrelationship between Puritanism and the American culture. Generally speaking, Puritanism is studied under the framework of four interpretative patterns, i.e., Puritanism as a social structure, as a rhetorical and aesthetic construct, as a part of ideology, and as an experience. In addition, it is also understood that in terms of culture studies controversies among Puritan scholars are, to a great extent, the "culture war" taking place within the American mind.